Tom Anderson • Instagram photos

Sometimes there’s mystery in what draws us to things, people or places… With Oahu, I can’t quite put my finger on it. I tried to explain it in an earlier post. I won’t try again 😀 A few weeks ago I took a helicopter ride over this island I love so much. I’d done that several times before, but not right over the Ko’olau Range, and not during sunset. Wowzers! I was feeling so happy and grateful, thanks @magnum_helicopters for showing me something I’d never seen before and giving me one more reason to love this place! I’m glad the island didn’t get hit by a missile.🚀(!) I’m curious to hear people’s reflections on how it felt to sit in that mental space for 30 minutes until it became clear it was a false alarm? I was not on the Island, and only heard about it after I knew it was not true. Today I saw death threats were being made against the worker who made the mistake. 😒I guess we know that a crisis always brings out the worst in people, but I bet it also brings out the best. Hoping to read some positivity here. 🙂

2012 542966:06 AM Jan 16, 2018

Koko Crater is quite a site from the sky—last time I hiked up this volcanic cone, I swore I would never do it again! Haha But was probably 2012 and I’m much stronger now Hmmmm. In other news we just got Star Wars tickets for Thursday night 🌴 Hawaiian Star Wars Braddah!! So pumped. Is Rey a Skywalker? Make your predictions here!!

617 319955:11 AM Dec 13, 2017

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For the longest time I’ve been satisfied and chill - not really wanting more from life. 🤙 Just at peace with how I am and how the world is. 🌏 But lately I’ve felt like I want to learn and grow… I’m feeling like my teenage self again, when I was excited about picking up a new book or a new idea. I think this mostly came from friends who inspired me… They know who they are. Feeling very grateful for this change, and for the people who got my creative mojo firing. Onwards and upwards! 🚀
This shot was from yesterday’s hike on Kauai! ⛰Was moving so fast with my time-limited hiking partners that I never got a chance to take out my camera! This was shot on the iPhone 7+ and edited with built-in Apple tools and some Snapseed. After all that, I brought it into Photoshop to remove some purple noise in the shadows. Finally I made a few changes to clarity and color in IGs editor. Haha. Imagine the day when your phone camera could do everything a DSLR can do… It’s really not that far away. In many ways, the phone is better — certainly for portability and also in the way it handles different layers of depth and light. I know if I shot this on my DSLR it would have been even harder for me to process to my satisfaction. Went for a more painterly feel since it was pretty noisy and easier to edit that way?? I like it a lot !! Do you like?? :-) 😀

946 521254:06 AM Dec 12, 2017

One of my favorite New Year’s Eve displays ever was in Singapore—as amazing as the country itself! 🇸🇬 This shot was just a regular old night before the fireworks, but I am trying to decide where to go for a fireworks this year... any suggestions? What’s the coolest place you’ve seen for NYE? 🔥

688 341974:57 AM Dec 5, 2017

I was surprised how many people responded to what I wrote yesterday and glad to know people found comfort in my thoughts. 🙏 Often this feeling of being “lost” comes from a larger cultural context. I just got back from Bhutan, a place where life feels integrated, whole, directed. About 7 years ago, I chose to live in multiple places around the world; I consider myself a member of various communities. The differences are striking. One of my favorite homes is Hawaii. 🏝Tomorrow I’m going there.🤙Part of why I love Hawaii and why it feels like home to me is similar to the feeling I get in Bhutan. There’s an attitude of calm in Hawaii. You see it in everything, from the speed of traffic, to the gait with which people walk. 👣In part, it’s island life, but it runs deeper than geography. It’s cultural and philosophical. When your community is strong, your purpose in life feels more secure. 💕The state of Hawaii is ranked lowest in the US for depression. 😀It’s fifth lowest for separation and divorce. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Is this all because of sunny weather and beautiful beaches? I don’t think so. It helps, but that’s not the whole story. There’s a saying or hashtag you may have seen on Instagram #luckywelivehawaii To me, that simple idea reflects pride, gratitude, and wisdom, all in one concept: pride in heritage and traditions, gratitude for that heritage to exist and continue, and wisdom of those living in Hawaii to recognize the uniqueness that their heritage does exist and continue. 🌏😎When you exist in a community like that, you’re less likely to suffer as an individual. If you’re struggling on a personal level, sometimes the answer may lie outside yourself—in a community that’s waiting for you. Aloha :) 🏄‍♂️

734 367323:01 AM Nov 29, 2017

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Lately I’ve been meeting a lot of “lost” people that seem to suffer from a crisis of confidence. I’m trying to help where I can. You don’t always have to understand the path forward. It’s OK to be lost at times. Crisis begets growth. In fact, some research shows that crisis is one of the few things that can really change us after age 25. If you’re feeling this way, just know that things can change in a moment — a chance occurrence can change your life forever. In the meantime, fill your brain with good ideas, follow the signs that life is sending to you, be open to what’s possible. If you’re doing OK in life right now, give your smile and empathy to strangers and friends. We never know what someone is going through. What does all this have to do with this photo? Haha well, I suppose this photo gives me a feeling of hope and a reminder that life, despite its conflicts, is always a beautiful thing. 😀🌎📷🤙

1097 588634:29 AM Nov 28, 2017

Hey everyone, so you saw my photos from the Maldives? I finally finished this video, and more important, now I’m ready to give you your chance to go here! Win 4 Free nights at the incredible Conrad Maldives Hotel, on Rangali Island! 🌴 🏖 I shot every frame of this video at the resort—its an incredible place! Now’s your chance to win a 4 night stay for two, with meals included—a $10,000 value!
The prize is open to anyone from any country on Earth!
To win, follow these steps:
1️⃣Follow @conrad_maldives@ericdamier@myspacetom
2️⃣Like This Video
3️⃣Comment on this Video and Tag 3 friends to spread the word!
The winner will be announced on @earthpix on Friday, December 1st. Who will you bring with you on this amazing trip? 🌴 It’s up to you, but it’s pretty romantic 💑 — Eric even proposed to his girlfriend on the trip (she said yes!) 😍 Note: this giveaway is not connected with Instagram in any way.

11384 298734:13 AM Nov 22, 2017

This place felt like a dream; the more I visit a place, usually I want to move on, and see some place new. With this river, not far from Cebu, I want to go back! Visiting the Philippines, it feels like you discover more and more every time. I guess that’s how things work when a country has 7,000 islands! This spot is fairly well known…. Just imagine what’s out there the more you explore. I’ve been asking my friends lately… Why do you travel? 🌎For me, it started through photography. Before photography, I mostly wanted to live in foreign places—I wasn’t big into visiting or sightseeing; I was never much of a traveller until I picked up a camera. 📷 I’m curious to hear your thoughts. 🤔 BTS:FYI: another shot from my Google Pixel phone (not the new one).

1000 504452:48 AM Nov 21, 2017

Rinpung Monastery, Paro, Bhutan. A “dzong” is the word they use in Bhutan for a fortress/monastery. These beautiful structures with giant walls reveal a lot about Bhutan’s unique culture. First, it is a defensible fortress--a holdover from days when wars were still happening. You can’t see from the picture I took here, but the walls descend further, so there’s no way for attackers to climb up or get inside. There’s tiny slits around the Dzong where people inside can shoot arrows at attackers on the outside! 🏹I’ve seen 10 fortresses like this in throughout Bhutan, and they’re usually built on a hillside with a strategic view of the valley, and, if the view isn’t so great, there’s a secondary watchtower in a better position. But what are they defending? I am just learning, but there’s a unique confluence of activity inside each Dzong: besides a military fortress, today, Dzong’s are homes for monks, and a spiritual center, but they also house all kinds of offices—think of it like the combination church, DMV, a civil court, an architecture planning office, and anything else related to the city’s administration. It shows how there is a lack of separation between “church and state”… In Bhutan, their philosophical and “religious” beliefs (some say Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophical perspective), are integrated with the government, not separated. 🎊More Bhutanese are beginning to dress like Westerners, but when you visit the Dzong, you are required to where the traditional dress of the Bhutanese people. To foreign eyes, it makes for a colorful and exciting experience—you feel like you’re in the 16th century watching the activity inside, even though people might be there to get architectural plans approved, or to get a divorce, or something else that seems very “modern” to us. Ah yes, and the chilis… I had to include the chilis drying in the sun. Bhutanese add chilis to almost every dish (even in their rice); certainly there will be chilis in every meal! The chilis are dried outside, typically on the roof of homes. 🏠 Drying can take a month! ☀️I think I’ll be adding chilis to dishes when i get back home! 😀

370 244314:57 AM Nov 15, 2017

Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan. 🇧🇹 When I first told people I was planning a trip to Bhutan, very few knew what I was talking about. 🤔Where? What? For those that did know Bhutan, it was always for one of two things: 1) the pleasant idea that the government and King make policy decisions based on the principles of “Gross National Happiness” and 2) the Himalayan Buddhist temple, Tiger’s Nest which I’ve posted here. I’d seen photos of Tiger’s Nest for many years, but photos do not give you a sense of just how high up it is! 🌄📷 I’d had the impression that Tiger’s Nest was perched just above a city, and that you could look up and see it from a town below, sort of like the Potala Palace in Lhasa. That’s not the case - not even close! You’ll probably never see a photo of Tiger’s Nest from the valley floor on Instagram because it would be so boring—in a photo taken from the bottom, Tiger’s Nest would be just a tiny speck on the mountain side. 🗻For Americans or anyone who has been to Yosemite, imagine you’re standing on the valley floor and looking at the very tops of the highest rock surfaces and you see a small speck that *might* be manmade. That’s the best way I could relate to you how high up this special Bhutanese monastery is. To visit the viewpoint from where I took this photo, you start at a forested valley floor, and hike up several hours. 🚶🏻🏃🏻‍♀️There’s no rock climbing involved, and its only steep in a few places, but the sheer length of the trek makes the existence of this place that much more remarkable. It’s not just its beauty and the seemingly impossible engineering that gives you a sense of awe, it’s also the idea that every piece of wood, stone, every relic and jewel housed inside, was carried up one by one. 💪 Pro Tip: If you decided to visit yourself, start your journey before dawn, or in the afternoon, and you’re likely to have the viewpoint all to yourself. We did :) !! We were there so late, we came down in total darkness. Remember your flashlights.

988 516394:31 AM Nov 14, 2017

One of my favorite drone perspectives of my stay at the the @conrad_maldives ; can you see that little rectangle sticking out from the bottom bungalow? Thats an underwater restaurant! 🏝I was dreaming of the Maldives warm shores the last few nights! 🌌I just spent some of the coldest nights of my life in a mountain village in Bhutan! Its been an eye opening trip here in the land of the Thunder Dragon—I have learned to not take life’s luxuries for granted: a warm, soft place to sleep; a heater or fire on a chilly night, or even a bathroom inside your house. All things I’ve taken for granted since birth. No longer! I can say I’m glad to have toughed it out sleeping with the same bedding as the locals, but when I come back to Bhutan I will definitely bring a sleeping bag! I’ve had very little Internet here, so I can’t yet upload the video for the Maldives trip giveaway, but its coming soon 😀